The grandmother of the late Leland Valdez said his mother never did anything to harm the 3-year-old.

Valdez died in a hospital room in January. Investigators called it a severe case of child abuse, and it prompted an internal review within the Children, Youth and Families Department.

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Cindy Stewart said shes standing by her daughter, Tabetha Van Holtz, even though investigators say she is partly to blame. Van Holtz faces charges in connection with the death of her son.

She loves her children. Shed never, never do anything to harm those kids, Stewart said.

Santa Fe County investigators paint a very different picture of the young mother and her boyfriend, Steven Gallegos. They said the 3-year-old was covered in bruises and suffering from devastating head trauma when he arrived at the hospital.

Stewart said Valdezs injuries all stem from a seizure the boy suffered that caused him to fall from a chair.

The prints that were on him were her holding him, so he wouldnt hurt himself, Stewart said.

Even if there was a seizure or an accident, there are still a lot of questions as to why there was such a delay in getting the boy to a hospital, or calling 911.

She was 21, just turned 22. She was so worried about him. She didnt think about calling anyone, Stewart said.

There is also the question of prior abuse. CYFD had been told that the child may be in danger as far back as August 2010. Stewart said that if anything did happen, it wasnt at the hands of her daughter.

There are no indications that prosecutors are planning to slow down their case. Both Van Holtz and Gallegos remain in custody on a $500,000 bond each and face charges of child abuse resulting in death.